Charis Hill believes that changes to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) may be the difference between living and dying.
Charis currently gets insurance due to the ACA. She is worried about what will happen to her if the ACA is repealed.
About four years ago, she developed ankylosing spondylitis. This diagnosis is a surprise for many people, but it wasn’t that big of a surprise for her. Why? Her father suffers from the same disease.
Ankylosing spondylitis is a type of autoimmune arthritis which causes a person’s spine to fuse into an unbending, crooked bone. Charis is in constant pain because of the disease.
Currently, there is no cure for ankylosing spondylitis.
Because of the ACA, she was able to get insurance even though she already had a pre-existing condition. She explained that she was able to have a better plan that would actually cover the things she needed. For example, she needs her treatments to slow the progression of her condition. She fears that she will not be able to afford or access the treatment that is helping her
For example, while there is no cure, there are treatments that help slow the progression of the disease. Charis needs those treatments to help her live. She fears that she will not be able to afford or access this lifesaving treatment.
Many people may not remember the days when people were commonly denied health insurance for having a pre-existing condition. Insurance companies didn’t want to pay for people who would require lots of medical care. Sounds twisted, right?
Not to mention that many people who have chronic conditions are also forced to go on disability. Charis has stated her fear that the changes to ACA could decrease funding to Medicaid, which is how she gets her insurance.
If she loses her current insurance and get’s denied for health insurance because she has a chronic medical condition, how will she be able to afford her treatment?
It’s mind-boggling that people and politicians want to put real people in this precarious position. Her story is probably like many others who are unsure about how the ACA changes will affect them.
Click here to read more.
